What do Chinchillas Eat? What Should I Feed My Chinchilla?

Have you ever thought to yourself… what is in my pets food and what do they eat? Well, I hope you have! It’s important to know what goes in your pet’s food and what the best type of food you can feed them is, so I thought I’d take some time to break down what a Chinchilla should eat.

Water

Odd thing to put on a list for food, but we easily forget how important water is to living organisms. A lot of animals get their water intake from their food, but for Chinchilla’s its a bit harder since most of their food is dry. Chinchillas don’t drink much, but you are going to want to make sure that they have a no-drip waterbottle in their tank at all times. A dehydrated Chinchilla becomes a sick Chinchilla very quickly.

Fun Fact: Chinchillas should never get wet. It mats their fur and could even get them sick

Hay!!!

Johnny, why did you put 3 exclamation points? Well, that’s because hay is the most important part of a Chinchilla’s diet! We personally feed Gary Western Timothy Hay however, your little one can eat different types of hay including Alfalfa Hay, especially if they are young, regular Timothy Hay or Botanical Hay. At the end of the day, it’s going to be up to your Chinchilla’s preference. Hay is the thing that keeps your Chinchilla’s digestive tract in check. Similar to hamsters Chinchilla’s teeth grow for all of their lives and will need lots of things to chew on like twigs, sticks, leaves, etc. You may not believe me, but hay does a great job of grafting your Chinchilla’s teeth, but don’t trick yourself into believing that it will be enough.

CAUTIONS!

Changing your Chinchilla’s Food

If you’re changing your Chinchilla’s food take it very slowly. Make sure you’re mixing old pellets or hay with new pellets or hay. Changing your Chinchilla’s food too quickly may cause them to get sick.

Foods to Avoid

There are a few foods you really need to avoid with Chinchillas. These include nuts, grains and seeds. These are not easily digested and can cause tooth damage. You’re also going to want to avoid twigs from cherry, cedar, plum and redwood trees.

Fun Fact/Extra Caution

Chinchillas can’t throw up! Odd eh? Because of this, foods can get stuck at the back of their throat causing them to gag salivate or stop breathing. Make sure you’re watching your Chinchilla closely to make sure that their eating habits haven’t changed and if they have take them to the vet immediately!